Publication Abstracts
Bhattacharya et al. 2026
Bhattacharya, T., D. Fastovich, C.R. Maupin, A.E. Thompson, R. Feng, J. Zhu, E.L. McClymont, , , S. Dee, and R.P. Fiorella, 2026: Leaf wax hydrogen isotopes reflect storm track position over Western North America. Paleoceanogr. Paleoclimatol., 41, no. 4, e2025PA005342, doi:10.1029/2025PA005342.
Proxy records of past climates have yielded powerful insights into regional hydroclimate dynamics. Novel insights may be gained by reconstructing spatiotemporal changes in precipitation isotopologues in past climate states that cannot be gleaned from individual site-level studies. In this paper, we ask whether latitudinal gradients in the stable hydrogen isotopic composition of precipitation, as inferred from sedimentary leaf wax biomarkers, reflect aspects of large-scale climate conditions in western North America (WNA). Modern coretop samples from offshore WNA show that leaf wax hydrogen isotopes broadly track the hydrogen isotopic composition of rainfall between 20 and 40°N, but with an offset corresponding to a relatively constant "apparent fractionation" value. Poleward of 40°N, the leaf wax signal may be complicated by fluvial transport of leaf waxes from the continental interior. Leaf wax-inferred precipitation hydrogen isotopes show a shift to more negative values between 30 and 40 ${}^{\circ}$N. We use modern observational data to show that this latitudinal range marks a major transition between the subtropical arid zone and the location of the midlatitude storm tracks over the northeast Pacific. Nudged water isotope-enabled models capture the location of the arid to mesic climate transition with fidelity. This modern data set suggests that reconstructions of the latitudinal gradient of precipitation hydrogen isotopes can constrain the sensitivity of the storm tracks to shifts in climatic boundary conditions in past climate states. This approach can yield novel insights into past, present, and future hydroclimate variability in this arid region.
Export citation: [ BibTeX ] [ RIS ]
BibTeX Citation
@article{bh05000f,
author={Bhattacharya, T. and Fastovich, D. and Maupin, C. R. and Thompson, A. E. and Feng, R. and Zhu, J. and McClymont, E. L. and Bong, H. and LeGrande, A. and Dee, S. and Fiorella, R. P.},
title={Leaf wax hydrogen isotopes reflect storm track position over Western North America},
year={2026},
journal={Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology},
volume={41},
number={4},
pages={e2025PA005342},
doi={10.1029/2025PA005342},
}
[ Close ]
RIS Citation
TY - JOUR ID - bh05000f AU - Bhattacharya, T. AU - Fastovich, D. AU - Maupin, C. R. AU - Thompson, A. E. AU - Feng, R. AU - Zhu, J. AU - McClymont, E. L. AU - Bong, H. AU - LeGrande, A. AU - Dee, S. AU - Fiorella, R. P. PY - 2026 TI - Leaf wax hydrogen isotopes reflect storm track position over Western North America JA - Paleoceanogr. Paleoclimatol. JO - Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology VL - 41 IS - 4 SP - e2025PA005342 DO - 10.1029/2025PA005342 ER -
[ Close ]
